GRR

"The Beast" is the ultimate 650PS off-road Chevrolet

03rd November 2021
Ethan Jupp

It’s easy to wonder if you’re a little bit over cryptic names of cars. “Oh, it’s the name of a Himalayan wind,” – is it, Horacio? Contrast to the Chevy Beast, the Bow Tie’s latest whacky debut at SEMA. We expect it does what it says on the tin…

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It’s what Chevrolet calls a “concept vision of the ultimate in high-performance desert running”. To us, it looks like Chevrolet were asked to design a new Warthog for the Halo games. Based on a heavily modified Silverado chassis, it’s an amalgam of the latest and greatest Chevrolet Performance products. Under the bonnet is a Chevy Performance LT4 supercharged V8 crate motor good for over 650PS (478kW), seen most often in the last-generation Corvette Z06.

Strapped to the chassis is a 4130 chromoly tubular safety structure, a long-travel off-road suspension system with a five-link rear set-up and a 91-inch track. The 20-inch beadlock wheels are shod in monster 37-inch tyres, two spares of which can be found in the truck bed. The bodywork is bespoke, with tubular doors and a clamshell nose. The overhangs are minimised to almost nothing to maximise potential attack angles.

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On the inside it’s very much minimalism and function over luxury. Four Recaro seats each come with four-point harnesses. A pair of 7-inch LCD screens gives all the data needed to help the driver keep the Beast wheels-down.

“The Chevy Beast concept takes the popularity of high-performance off-road trucks to the next level,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports.

“It’s a vision for a new dimension of Chevrolet Performance capability from a brand that’s been pioneering performance and supporting customer personalization for more than 50 years.”

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So, the only question is whether you’d have a beast, or a Bronco DR? For the moment, that’s answered for you. The Bronco is going into production, whereas the Beast is a show car… for now.

  • Chevrolet

  • Concept

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